


Beautiful Surrender

by SpellStorm



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Druids, Gwen Knows About Merlin's Magic, Magic, Magic Revealed, Magic-Users
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 17:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2159346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpellStorm/pseuds/SpellStorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a baby is discovered during a raid on a druid camp, Merlin fights hard to give her a chance at life. But when she starts showing magical qualities, he realizes he may not be as alone as he thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful Surrender

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place somewhere during Season 2.

PROLOGUE

Every time he struck a druid, he felt guilty. These people -- for they were people -- were typically peaceful, and slaughtering them was, he felt, an unnecessary offense.

But one couldn’t ignore the king’s orders, and so he brought down his sword again and again, injuring the unsuspecting beings.

Suddenly, something caught his ear: a sound, almost overwhelmed by the screams of pain and spells. Straining, he heard it again. He frowned and followed it to a lone tent, set far off from the rest.

The sound seemed to be coming from a small basket. Lifting the rough cloth, the knight’s eyes opened wide.

The noises of battle faded into the background, and time seemed to stop. After some time, the knight vaguely registered his name being called.

“LEON!”

Another knight, Edmund, stuck his head into the the tent and looked around. “Finally!” he exclaimed when he saw his friend. “I’ve been looking everywhere. The druids are dead; I’ve sent men after the few who escaped.” He frowned when he got no response. “Leon?”

The man turned around slowly. “Edmund. You’ll never believe what I found. I think we need to get back to Camelot right away.”

In his arms was a baby.

~~***~~

Uther Pendragon stared at the child in his knight’s arms. It was small, but not young enough to be an infant. There was pale hair growing on its head, and it’s open eyes were icy blue.

“Gaius?” he finally said.

The old physician stepped forward. “It’s a girl, my lord,” he announced. “She appears to be around six to eight months old. Even so, the druid mark has already been tattooed on her chest. She seems to be in perfect health.”

“And the hair?”

“Natural, as far as I can tell.”

The king continued to study it. It stared back at him, frighteningly silent. Its gaze seemed to say, _Well? What are you going to do?_

“All but Gaius, Sir Leon, Arthur, and Morgana is dismissed,” he said. Immediately, those not mentioned bowed and filed out of the room. From the corner of his eye, Uther saw his son tell his manservant to stay. He ignored it.

“This is the second druid child to enter Camelot in the last year,” Uther said.

“But this is a baby!” Morgana protested immediately. “She’s too young to even speak properly; surely the druids wouldn’t have had a chance to teach her anything!”

“It is still a druid. It has the mark.”

“Father, you can’t really mean to kill this baby,” Arthur spoke up incredulously. “She’s harmless.”

“Would you bet the safety of this kingdom on that?”

“Yes!”

Uther sighed at the twin protests from his son and his ward.

“They are correct, sire,” Gaius said. “Magic is learned; if the child can’t even walk yet, you can bet she can’t perform spells.”

“Look,” Arthur continued, “if you’re so worried, give her to someone you trust. Someone who works in the castle, even. That way you can keep an eye on her. She’ll be brought up as a normal child. This isn’t like the boy; it’s not too late to rehabilitate her.”

Uther stared at the child a moment longer before sighing wearily in defeat. “All right!” he exclaimed. “She can stay.”

“Who will look after, my lord?” Sir Leon asked.

“Morgana, your maid has a small home in the village, correct?” he asked.

His dark-haired ward nodded.

“Tell her she’s receiving a new occupant. She will be responsible for the child’s well being.”

He could tell she wanted to argue, but she knew better than to push him. She nodded and rose to leave.

“Take it with you.”

Back rigid, Morgana retrieved the woven basket from Sir Leon and left the room.

“Thank you, Father,” Arthur said quietly.

He nodded sharply and left, wordlessly dismissing the rest.


End file.
